3 Reasons You Should Take a Working Holiday

Stepabroad participant Geneviève Latour is wrapping up her working holiday in Chile and wants to convince fellow Canadians looking to travel to do the same to experience life on a working holiday!

“Everyone’s heard of backpacking, but what is a working holiday? For starters, it’s more than just a holiday – you get to live and work in a foreign country to make money and help pay for your travels. The best part, when you work somewhere you’re no longer just a tourist, you’re a living breathing part of the city and you get to experience it in a whole new way that most people would never dream of. You’re not just a visitor anymore, you’re a local. Plus, you get a job! So your parents won’t judge you for wasting all your money on travelling. It’s a win-win!

Here are my three main reasons why you should (strongly) consider a working holiday:

1. The mundane becomes interesting again.

I might be alone on this but hear me out: doing your grocery shopping abroad is really fun! When you take a working holiday you really take on the lifestyle of a place and the little things that aren’t that fun back home are different and become new and exciting again. I have been in Chile for a couple of months now and out of all the amazing destinations in Santiago, my favourite is La Vega, a GIANT fruit and veggie market where all the locals do their shopping, and where I now do mine too!

2. Get all the insider tips.

Sure, the Internet might have a bunch of top sights to see, but nothing beats the suggestions from a local. On a working holiday, your coworkers gladly become your travel agents and you get a glimpse into sides of places that tourists would never get the chance to see. A working holiday gives you the time and resources to appreciate your new home to the fullest. If I hadn’t worked in Japan, I would’ve never gotten to have 7-Eleven picnics under cherry blossoms with some of my favourite people!

3. Give your résumé a boost.

Working in another country is great experience work-wise. It will help you stand out from the competition in front of potential employers because it shows how adaptable you are. While on a working holiday almost every aspect of your life will be turned upside down in the most wonderful way possible! You have to adapt to a new lifestyle, different work culture, language and climate… all which shows that you are independent, adaptable and ready to take on new challenges – and who wouldn’t want to hire someone like that?

Let’s not forget, asides from the working part you still get the weekends to travel and visit new places! While working in Chile I’ve visited Argentina and Uruguay. In Japan, I went to Hawai’i, Vietnam and Hong Kong. Having a home base in another country makes it so much easier to travel to nearby places (and you don’t have to carry all your stuff in your backpack). You’ve got a home base from which to embark on new adventures!”

– Geneviève

Wondering how you can get on a working holiday?

If you are Canadian and reading this, stop dreaming about travelling and start planning! Gain new perspectives, make new friends and create unforgettable memories while travelling overseas. We know it’s a big decision to pack up your things and travel abroad, but it’s easier than you think! Our team at Stepabroad will be by your side from start to finish to relieve the stress of organizing and planning your trip overseas.